The minke whale is a baleen whale that belongs to the rorqual family and is its smallest member. Other rorquals are e.g. the blue whale, the fin whale and the humpback whale. The minke whale is one of the most common whales spotted off the coast of Iceland and can be seen near the coast all year round. Its Latin name, acutorostrata, refers to its very narrow or pointed snout, as acuto means sharp and rostrata (or rostrum) means snout or beak. The narrow snout and streamlined body make it easy for the minke to slice through the water and achieve considerable speeds when swimming through the deep. When minke whales surface from diving, the first evidence of their presence is often the narrow snout breaking the surface. The dorsal fin is fairly high and curves backward, making it easy to recognize this whale at sea. The shape of the dorsal fin along with scars and notches on it, make it possible for whale experts to recognize individual animals. Minke whales in Icelandic waters have a characteristic white band across their pectoral fins, a characteristic unique to North Atlantic minke whales.
